Educational device



J. B. WOOSTER April 289 i925.

EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Filed Feb. 7,1924

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Patented ApLZS, 1925.,

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Te all .eP/wmf il? Heer @were o v)Be it known .shaft I, .Mams B. lfoosrer., a Gtzen'of the United States., residing' 'el Bufl'alov, in fthereoruityMofi earidState of New York, ,have iuvented Iusw' and useful ,lmplsownnl 11,1 Eflucelleil @Wisse ".Of .which #che following is 'a specification.

This ,inyeition relatlesfto "mproveirieuts in edueatinaldevices and aoreparticulai ly a device intended to iacrilit-ae "che "study oi fliractiorls `in the pririiary graces and ll0 `erralole alle student 1go. acquire a cerbainfaud essere@ understanding Of the 4Subject irl yless `time and Witlrlesseffort @han is ordiiarly required# l .Heretpfore fracties taught by ,Cut- `elle en eppliorotller natural Object 111i@ the desired number of pieces or segments beetles .methed iS `url elsen earl `iS `mi e Pel marient object lesson inasmuch as the sec- ,tiQllS decay and soonibecome yuusaiiitary.r

`The object offthe `iuveutiori s yto Ipijiiyile a ,simply constructeddevice `which mayV be readily manipulated by .the student and by such l manpuleten :will `give actuel Clemenstration of fractional Values in relatio'iifiso `one another and to the whole viii a sanitary l The device vis based le @helpless the eHIlQymeut of a body ,of suitable form, preferably fashioned in simula-tion of some Well lmown u aturalobj'ect and falle division Q that body intera predeterminedlumber ofpartsanl the invention consists generally ill .L Simplyconstructed device wherein the parts `may be removed `individuailly, or in enr `.flesillfel eeeroupmeat; leaving' will@ re mainder of Llie bodylin/its `normal assembly andtheiffraetorlalValues ofthe part er parte removed and of blielparts remainiiig will be so illflieated tliatlhey .cap at'onc'e bje'lapprehended and understpod by ,children fin the primary grades.

Anembodmenl; of thenyentien is illus- `trated in the ,accompanying drawings, `wherein:

Figure `l sau elevatioupftbedeyice in Iadornawhich, now colisideredys preferred. Figure "2 u is `a centralyeitioal Aseclfioual :View

. orange' 0l." apple.

`conceal'ed Aby iule semi ibody iriovinlgtllem upwaiduel el ,a predetermlaed "number "f snjieljs'l Sybich' are remojiab'ly `Wivtll reliereuceto a colmiien'suppe. 9 The Supports pif lei'ably 'in the 1 of 'cylindrical Core Wliill is en'zlloselfwithiii and is norl lily y k I ills l. f The `segu lits are formed at their Vuppereuds with `loih zoutally 'exllldig ,poi-tiens 3 "rwh'ch eiferllarigihe' corel?i andV are lormed ivillilvei ,tical .Yr-'@@QSSQS extending' t0 their ieder faces. The iecesfsese` are arcuate andere provided as cliords of a circle to which' each recess collierms.A The core 2 ismproxiided y annular gauge 5 whichV projects byQIld lf, upper is eugageable in elieijecessesflf H'lhe'core v'is mounted `1113011 ya' Hat supportingbase 6 oisuitable erteilt, lelie upper Vface of "wlgiclrisv foriiiied'o provide a recess "7 concentric `Lfoitliecore and 'which conforms irrouizliue arid size Mtetlie portions segments l or near clrellower ends 0f Seid segmentslInni glie assembly of the `body the segyineiiks are fitted LWilli `their recesses l @lr gage@ Ver `J`lleg'flafnofe 5 andyjtheir lower eri) .portions engageL Within `the recess `7 of the' base 6.V "By sueligassembly the segipelitsare y)held against, lagera'l displacement but'inay be individually reiiievlffrem che l i .rely to the core 2 Vutil their recesses, 4 passibeyoiid .lille-llene@ 5, at `which .tihethy may" be withdrawn from lllebeflrby a lateral 111er@- .meiit The segments yare preferablyl`polsi- `tifvely cufned iiiftbeir asseliibledbrelafcion and lfer this @lamelles here purpcse ,a screw 8 {llayipg'e c 49 hay 'be `reimeMaloly 'fitted iu the upper end of tliehcoref2,the lieadlQ "engagug `'the segments alougftheir "upper Cil - groups.

body B. The screw 8 may also be utilized to provide a handle by which the device may be readily carried from place to place.

The segments l are preferably, although not necessarily, all of the same size and may be provided in any desired number. Since the object of the device is to teach the principles of fractions rather than to teach any particular series of fractions it is, of course, immaterial as to what particular fractions are selected for illustration. For the purposes of teaching and study the fractions represented by the powers of 2 are doubtless 'the most suitable and convenient and such fractions are shown in the device illustrated. Thus by the provision of sixteen equal segments 1 the device may be used to demonstrate halves, fourths, eighths and sixteenths. These values are preferably displayed on the body il in such a way as clearly to indicate the segments by which the values are constituted. Preferably the different values are marked along rings or bands suitably imprinted upon the body and preferably produced .in different colors in order that they may be readily distinguished. rlhus the value one-half is displayed twice on a band 10 imprinted on the body B near its upper end; the value one-fourth is displayed four times on a band 11 imprinted on the body B below the band 10; the value oneeighth is displayed eight times on a band 12 arranged below the band l1, and the value one-sixteenth is displayed sixteen times on a band 13 arranged below the band .1.52. The values may be displayed either by words or by numerals as may be found most con` veulent and the imprinting of each value subtends the number of segments required tute the values. Thus two groups, each oi' eight segments, each bears the words one-half so arranged as to extend over all of the segments of the gr( l four groups, each of four segments, each bears the designation one-fourth so arranged as to subtend all of the segments of the group; eight groups, ach of two segments, each bears the designation one-eighth so arranged as to subtend the two segments of the group; and each segment is marked with the designation one-sixteenth For the convenience of the student the groups may be delimited from one another by heavy division lines lfl imprinted across the several bands.

yThe manner of use will be readily apparent from the foregoing description. The student Alirst backs olf the screw 8 to space the head 9 a suitable distance above the top of the body E. Vhen this has been done the segments may be removed from said body in the manner above explained, the segments being removed individually or in To illustrate the use of the device it may be assumed that the teacher directs the class to remove four segments representing the value one-fourth and subtended by the designation one-fourth. lllllien this has been done she may ask the class to ascertain how many fourths remain and then may ask the class to ascertain how many parts make up the fourth which has been removed. By questions of such character which will readily suggest themselves to an experienced teacher, the class may be quickly given, by actual demonstration, a certain and accurate understanding of the general principles of fractions. vWhen the lessen has been finished the segments which have been removed are replaced and all of the segments are then secured by the screw 8. lt is preferable to number or otherwise mark the several segments consecutively so as to enable the same to be readily assembled in their proper order in an annular row about the core and this is accomplished by providing the segments on one or more places with the proper numeral or designation, such for example as the numeral 16 applied to a radial side of one of the segments, as shown in Figure 5, it being understood that the remaining segments are correspondingly numbered or marked and thus facilitate the assembling of the entire set or group of the same around the core or support.

Having fully claim:

l. A device of the character described comprising a body composed of a plurality of separably assembled segments, a supporting core fitted centrally within said body and having a. flange projecting from its upper end, each segment having a recess to take over said flange whereby the segment is held against lateral displacement, and releasable means co-operating with the core and the segments to hold the segments against axial displacement.

2. A device ofthe character described comprising a body composed of a plurality of separably assembled segments, a supporting core fitted cent-rally within said body and having a flange projecting from its upper end, each segment having a recess to take over said flange whereby the segment is held against lateral displacement, and a screw fitted in the upper end of the core and having a clamping head to engage the segments at their upper sides, thereby to hold them against axial displacement.

8. A. device of the character described comprising a body composed of a plurality of separably assembled segments and means for maintaining the assembly of said segments while permitting the removal at will of each segment from the remainder, the body being marked with designations of difdescribed my invention, I

ferent fractionzl Values, each designation ments While permitting the relfnovel at will snbtending the number of segments by which of eacli segment from the remainder, the 10 the fractional Value is constituted. body being marked with designations of dif- 4. A. device of the character described Aferent fractional values,7 each designation comprisingr a body ci' circular cross section eubtending the number of segments bywliich and composed of e plurality of separably the fractional velue is constituted.

AAssen'lbled segments, and a common support In testimony whereof I affix my signature. for maintaining the assembly of Said seg- JAMES B. VVOOSTER. 

